, 1887-12-29
THE TIGER MINE.
Outline Of its Development
Its Present Condition.
The Turning Point
Reached.

not heard Of the wonderful Tiger
mine, is qualified to serve upon jury,
where ignorance is the first, second
and last requisite. The mine, now
famous among the many situated in
the Occur d'Alene country, is tho
property OF Stephen /. Glidden, who
owns four-ffths, while the remaining
one-fifth is held by him under mort
gage, the mortagee being John M.
Burke. The history Of the man is in
this case the history of the mine. Sue
cessful as the owner OF an iron foun-
dry, successful as wholesale mer-
chant, Mr.. Glidden has shown an abil-
ity in the management and develop
ment Of the Tiger mine, which is the
natural result OF remarkable business
sagacity. At an ago when most men,
(and more especially men who can af
ford to do so), think Of retiring from
active business pursuits, Mr.. Glidden
has alone and in the face of universal
opposition, placed the Tiger mine in
the proud position Of the most
thoroughly developed mine in the en-
tire Occur dAlene country. He has
opened up four tunnels, embracing in
their entirity more than LOO feet,
with shafts running throughout, show
ing up ore bodies Of remarkable even
ness and immense size. At the time
when he began operations the mine
was merely prospect, the means Of
access were difficult, and the obstacles
to be overcome were enough to deter
any but the most courageous from be-
ginning the stupendous work. which
has resulted in the development of
the surest and safest mining prospect
in the district.
Finding only bride path, he
opened up and completed a road run
ming from Summit House to Bayard,
a distance of miles, over the top of
the divide, between Canyon and Pros
pect creeks. This road connects with
the road from Thompson Falls, Mon
tana, to Murray, and has been of es-
sential use in afording first-class
wagon route, over which machinery
and provisions have been brought in
to camp. Mr.. Glidden, however, was
not satisfied that this road would be
the best auxiliary for the shipment of
ore. and, after looking over the
ground, he employed a thorough en-
gineer to lay out the grade for a
road to Wallace, to be operated in
connection with the road running
thence to Hauser Junction, the latter
road having been built by the Occur
d'Alene Railway & Navigation COM
pany.
The Canyon Creek railroad, which
as write is being rapidly completed
to Bayard, has been met by every pos
sible obstacle from it's very inception.
Before and after the line had been
surveyed, impecunious and irrespon-
sible persons located so-called mining
claims and ranches upon the line.
The canyon is narrOw-so narrow that
any feasable line OF railroad must
take in nearly all the valuable space,
and just what could be grown upon
the so-called ranches is still ain un-
solved problem.
One thing, however, became ap-
parent when the line was being
graded by the contractors. Every
man, with one or two exceptions, who
had squatted down beside the creek
and erected hut among the stones.
demanded blood money. Every pros
pect which had been located, regard
less OF any minerals which it might or
might not contain, was of wondrous
value. Rich as this section of country
undoubtedly is in the precious metals,
the values had not been apparent until
railroad was projected. To cross
any end, side, section, quarter or frac-
ton OF these claims, was to be called
upon for coin. One hundred dollars
each was a small demand for the dam
age done, and where several owners
held one piece OF property, the dam
ages were proportionately greater.
Most OF these demands were known to
be fraudulent, but when the contract
ors were met by mon armed with re-
volvers, they did not study the legal
aspect Of the case, but desisted from
work.
limo was money, and these fellows
knew it. They were also aware that
nothing would so enhance the values
Of any and all classes of properties as
the railroad. They also knew that the
work done could not and would not be
abandoned, and they combined to ex-
tort money from the man, who, far be-
yond all others, was developing their
country and spending hundreds of
thousands OF dollars in cash to turn
the wilderness into q rich and pros
porous country.